Friday 20th November 2009 It's not that I don't believe...

... it's just that I can be both cynical and sceptical.
There has been a lot of noise over the last few years concerning changing conditions on planet earth. A few years back it was the hole in the ozone layer. We were all going to look like toads due to skin cancers due to CO somethings in power transformers and air conditioners and spray cans. Oh, woe was me.
The latest scare seems to be the warming of the late great planet earth because we all burned fossil fuels and but all that carbon into the atmosphere and so earth got warmer. Wasn't there something about that with spray can thingy destroying the atmosphere. Was it an ice age coming or a heat wave? I am not sure. Anyway, the latest is about carbon. And there are all sorts of schemes on the go, all guaranteed to fatten some one bank balance.
Well I was doing a bit of reading the other day on a subject not even remotely related to climate change and all that stuff. Have a read of this.
I quote a bit:
"The longest minimum on record, the Maunder Minimum of 1645-1715, lasted an incredible 70 years. Sunspots were rarely observed and the solar cycle seemed to have broken down completely. The period of quiet coincided with the Little Ice Age, a series of extraordinarily bitter winters in Earth's northern hemisphere. Many researchers are convinced that low solar activity, acting in concert with increased volcanism and possible changes in ocean current patterns, played a role in that 17th century cooling."

Above: The solar cycle, 1995-2015. The "noisy" curve traces measured sunspot numbers; the smoothed curves are predictions. Credit: D. Hathaway/NASA/MSFC
Oh really? 70 years do we say? And some bitter cold winters? You don't say. Well, fancy that now. Oh, my.
Now maybe it is the sun? So, let me get this clear. The sun has a long period without sun spots and sun flares. Reduced radiation heading for planet earth and a period of extreme cooling on planet earth? Very very interesting.. I say no more.

Wednesday 18th November 2009 Did I tell you.....

..... I like to brag a lot. Well, I do. Especially when it comes to my kids. See that photo? Well, I know you can't Stephanie. But most every one else can. Anyway, Michele did that. This is what it says:
Dere Dad I love you and I wish you did not haf to work anymore. Love from Michele Michell.
That is pretty good I think. Now this last Monday her school had their assembly. It is the first assembly I have missed for a very long time. Michele received 2 awards. One was for student of the week. Her writing is not all that flash. However, she tries and tries and tries. They rewarded her for her efforts. the other award was the Premier's Reading challenge. Our local member of parliament showed up to hand out the awards. there are 250 children in the school. many received the award. Four students were presented with the award. Michele was one of them. I am not surprised that she got the award. She loves reading. She has been credited with having read 150 books so far this year. But that only includes the books at school. That doesn't include the books we have brought both her and Cathy over the years. Plus books that her Nana and poppa's have brought for her. Now I ask you: Is that good or is that good.
I forgot to mention Cathy. Who could forget Cathy. You see the school is straight across the road from our house. Every Friday I hear Michele's class with their reading. Every Friday Cathy goes over with me. Whilst I am hearing the kids read, Cathy goes into the class with Michele and does what ever Michele does. They have a seat for her and she sits there. When the students go sit out the front with the teacher, Cathy goes out to and sits quietly with the others kids. When the kids go outside for their run around, Cathy goes out there and runs with them. Then there is the free fruit Friday. Cathy joins in with that too.
What is the school? Karingal Heights Primary School.
Normal programming will now resume.

Monday 16th November 2009. Yesterday

This is what we did yesterday.

It reads:
Certificate of Confirmation. Stanley Joseph Mitchell was confirmed at St Luke's Frankston on 15th November 2009 by Archbishop Philip Freier. Signed Philip Melbourne.
I have today, of my own accord, in the presence of God and his church, declared my allegiance to Christ. May God the Holy Spirit strengthen me so that I may keep my promise.

Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life, to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
1 Timothy 6:12

Thursday 12 November 2009 It's braggin time.... agin

It's always braggin' time. Michele came home from school today. Braggin'. Seems I taught her well. Apparently she did three good things at school. She sat nicely when the teacher asked her. She cleaned up her area very quickly when asked. She couldn't remember the third one. Maybe she will remember in the morning. She does enjoy her school and is learning very fast.

Cathy was Cathy. She followed me around whilst I was moving antennas from here to there and back again. Yes, it's that time. I finally got around to moving my antenna from the back of the garage to just out side the back door. So, the short version goes like this. Look at it for a very long time. Remove one leg of 40m dipole from the mast to a temporary mast. Risk life and limb lifting vertical antenna from mast. It's not heavy, but very awkward due to its long length. Fine in its verticle position so long as there is no breeze. I dropped it on the roof with a bit of a crash. I survived and so did the antenna. Then move mast. That was the easy bit. Then re-attach antenna. Then discover, to my horror, that I hadn't secured the mast. Very quickly secure said mast.
Why all this? Coz I can. And because I really want to do some work on the dipole. I actually want to add to it. At the moment it only covers 40 metres. I want to add a 20 metre leg and maybe later on 80 metre leg. I don't have room enough for a bean.

Mum was out to choir practice tonight. She has this descant thingy to do this Sunday. I dictated it to her last week and this week was the trail thing. It worked and she is a happy lady. One could say a very happy chappy. But you can't coz she isn't a chappy. She is a lady.
Finally back to Michele. Seems I am not permitted to brag. So she informed me a prayer time tonight. I told her I was going to brag about her not myself. Nope, according to my 5 almost 6 year old daughter, one is not permitted to brag at all full stop end of story.

Sunday 8th November 2009 Ezra part 2

Did I tell you I enjoy Ezra? I do. Restoration described. Explicitly. And it is good. You remember the work on the temple got a bit of a hiccup when jealously got in on the act? Well, in chapter 6 jealously gets the royal order, please do pardon the pun. I know I shouldn't gloat, but when justice is done, I gloat. Look at verse 6 of chapter 6. God tells the crooks to nick off and mind their own business. This is God's work so go back and play with your own toys in your sand pit and leave mine alone. Oh, and coz you stuck your nose in where it isn't wanted cop this, and look at verse 8.
There is an interesting tit bit in chapter 7. Go have a look at verse 9. It took 5 months to go from Babylon to Jerusalem? That is a long time for such a short distance?
From chapter 8 on things happen quite rapidly. Chapter 8 marks a change from reporting to testimony. Chapter 8 is Ezra's personal testimony of what happened, rather some one else's report of what happened. A similar thing happens in Act where Luke goes from reporting on what others tell him to actually giving an eye witness report to events as they unfold. Ezra 8 is the same. When Ezra gets to Jerusalem the temple is complete and he does the dedication? Sounds right.
Ezra chapter 9 is all about repentance. Genuine repentance and recompense. The type that costs, lots. This isn't hip pocket repentance. This is heart repentance. There is a declaration of sin. And acknowledgement of sin. A sorrow of sin. Not being sorry for one self sorrow. But an acknowledgement that this is against God order of events. Ezra's prayer of confession is recorded for us starting verse six. It is gut wrenching in its honesty.
Chapter 10 changes from Ezra's testimony to be a report of what is happening. That is an aside. The real deal is to be found in verse 3. The people put the wrong right. They restore. They turn around and put the wrong right: They put their foreign wives complete with their offspring away. Could you imagine that being done today? Not I. Besides, do I hear the arguement that we are not under judgement today? That's true. We aren't. But does that mean we can/should continue in sin? Ought we not put right what we know is wrong? Should we continue in sin because it is inconvenient to change it and it is going to cost - lots? But it would never happen today. It couldn't. I think verse 44 is staggering.
Or could it?

Saturday 7th November 2009 Ezra

What's that got to do with anything and what does "Ezra" mean. Glad you asked. Always nice to see inquisitive folks around. Oh, your not? I will tell you anyway.
Ezra is a 10 chapter book in the Bible snuggling between Nehemiah on its right and 2 Chronicles on its left. Some call it a prophet book and I wont dispute that. But I think it is historical. No, not hysterical, historical!
Why am I reading it? Glad you asked. It goes like this. Over at St Luke's in down town Frankston there are a bunch of us men who meat for breakfast and fellowship and answer some questions on how our discipleship is progressing. Some week we are up, others we are down. But part of that discipleship process is reading our Bible every week. Like lots of the Bible every week. No, not to study it, but to see what Christ wants to show us this week. There are three of us in my group and last week we looked at Ezra. I forgot to tell you, we agree each week how much of the Bible we will read the following week. And if we don't complete the agreed reading by breakfast time on Saturday, then we do that reading again until all of us have completed the particular reading within the week.
So, we are in Ezra, well we were last week and since one of our number wasn't able to complete it, we all start back at Ezra chapter one this next week.
The question we are answering is: Did you complete the Bible reading? What has God been saying to you, and what are you going to do about it?
So, just now I have been having a look.
As I read this one thing occurs to be. Restoration. One simple little word. Putting something back the way it was. Returning something to its rightful owner/place. The work is the Lord's. (7)
Chapter 2:2. Nehemiah is numbered. Interesting. Nehemiah was the one to build the walls.
Chapter 4, the work of the Lord will never happen without opposition. Whether it be here or in our own lives.
I do have a question. It would seem to me that the building of the temple and the building of the walls happened together. Yet I was always taught that the walls went up first and then after that the temple. Yet here we see a parallel opposition as described in Nehemiah. Interesting. Very interesting. And the response is the same. the work stops, for a while. I also notice something else. Jealously. When God's people are having a ball, there will always be opposition. Some one will get jealous and want in on the action and when told no will get cranky. Been there done that. In fact many moons ago in a previous life I had to repent of my jealousy of another brother's success in his work for the Lord and seek that brother's forgiveness. That brother was very gracious, which only served to poor salt on my open wound. There after I prayed for him and was not jealous of the Lord's success in another brother.

Thursday 5th November 2009 Mark 15:21-47

St Luke's Bible reading for today is Mark 15:21-47
It's been a while. But here is my 2 cents worth. There are lots of goodies in this passage and it lends itself to many a happy hour contemplating what God is showing us.
Now, let me see. Is it possible this Simon the Cyrene was the one and same who carried Jesus cross?
Note verse 23. They offered Him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.
Why didn't he take it? Because the mixture would have dulled the pain. He would not do that. You see, for you and for me He had to experience death, be death in fact. Is this cruel? Nope. Not according to God. And remember Satan will use any tool to try to trip up Christ. Go back to the beginning with all that he offered Christ that Christ might worship him. You see Satan's purpose is to keep us from God. The means don't matter. It is all in the deed.
Verse 26 The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS.
The Jews objected. But then they would. they didn't see Christ as king. But he was/is the only Prophet, Priest and King. He is the only one able to claim that title. Others might be a combination of all three, but not all three. But then, there again we have the Trinity defined.
Verse 29 Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, "So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days,
But that's just the very thing. He did. And we are living proof.
Verse 30 come down from the cross and save yourself!"
And if He had then we would/could not have been. Sin must be dealt with. Once. For all. Completely.
Verse 34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?"—which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
That would have been tough. You and I can never even begin to plumb the depths of this. For the first time in all eternity the Trinity was in a sense incomplete. I let that one sink in a while.
Verse 38 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.
That curtain was a seamless curtain. It covered the mercy seat hiding it from view. The Mercy Seat was behind it and only those ceremonially clean could go therein. In fact, to go in unclean meant instant and certain death. God and sin cannot meat. They are completely opposed to each other. That curtain was part of the process of keep it that way. It was a pointer to what was to come and to what was to happen. It pointed to Christ and the work He would accomplish upon the cross when He died in our place. Died the death that we should have but never could have.
Now, once Christ had died and the penalty paid there was no need to guard the Mercy Seat. For now we are all, by virtue of Christ's death, free to approach the Royal Throne. That curtain was/is proof that Christ work was complete/enough.
OK, I have waffled long enough. I now invite some one else to comment upon verses 42-47.

Tuesday 3rd November 2009 The Copenhagen treaty

There is a little bit on controversy over this treaty. Mr Obama has been accused of giving up the sovereignty of the good old US of A if he signs on the dotted line. Then there is this whole climate change debate thingy going on. Some say that if we don't pull our heads in we will all be doomed and others say it's a lot of fluff and dust over nothing.
Well, I am not sure what I think of it all. There is this Mr Morton, is that his name, who says it's a lot of bull and that climate change science is dead and buried in the water. Then there is the age old argument over deforestation of our late great planet earth. And we're all being greedy and abusing the earth, God's creation and all that and woe is me spank my backside, boo hoo.
Here is what I think I think. Yes, we probably are burning fossil fuels faster than they can be regenerated. Yes, we are certainly contributing to climate change. And, yes, we are using the forests up much more than we ought. And humanity will sometime in the future be called to account by the Living Lord of the universe, He who created it.
However, my Bible tells me that this earth has a finite life. It will exist for a time and then will be either replaced or cease to exist. Ezekiel would suggest that we might even blow the who thing up. But.....
I have no doubt that what ever God puts in front of us, He will also provide us with the means/ability to cope with what ever He plans. That don't mean I will be complacent in what I do or how I use the resources granted to me. But My reliance is not on commodity, but rather on the provider.
There is one thing we can do to help the planet. Plant more trees. That will direct reduce carbon in the atmosphere. We grow trees, then harvest those trees. Instead of burning trees, use them for single level building. In those houses we can use lambs wool for insulation. That will reduce our heating/cooling bills. If we have a rain water tank in every house we can collect the water and reduce the demand on a limited resource. We can use that water to grow our own veggies. That will give us some exercise. This makes us fitter.
Lets do some more walking. That will directly reduce the obesity level in society.
Need I go on? I think that if we only implemented one of the things I have mentioned then this treaty become fairly redundant.
Oh, and if your are an Ozzie reading this , don't get too alarmed. Our country is pretty well ruled by treaties. Mr Hawk and Co signed away most of our rights years ago. What they didn't do the banks and state governments did back in the 1980/90's.